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Peer Community Report – One Lawton Plan (April 2024)

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Peer Community Report – One Lawton Plan (April 2024)

Overview

The Peer Community Report is a benchmarking document created as part of the One Lawton Comprehensive Plan update.

It compares Lawton to similarly sized cities in Oklahoma and North Texas to evaluate:

  • population trends
  • planning practices
  • staffing levels
  • policy approaches

These “peer cities” are used to provide context and help guide future planning decisions in Lawton.

Peer Cities Included

  • Lawton, Oklahoma
  • Midwest City, Oklahoma
  • Enid, Oklahoma
  • Norman, Oklahoma
  • Edmond, Oklahoma
  • Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
  • Moore, Oklahoma
  • Wichita Falls, Texas

Key Takeaways

  • Lawton is one of the only peer cities experiencing population decline (2000–2020)
  • Most peer cities show strong population growth, especially in central Oklahoma

Planning Updates

  • Lawton’s last comprehensive plan update: 2008
  • Many peer cities have updated plans more recently:
    • Edmond (2022)
    • Broken Arrow (2019)
    • Moore (2017)

Planning Capacity

  • Lawton has approximately 5 planning staff
  • Larger peer cities (e.g., Norman) have significantly more personnel dedicated to planning
  • Staffing levels may impact implementation capacity

Amendment Processes

  • Lawton allows land use amendment applications

  • Fees include:

    • base application fee
    • publication costs
    • additional per-property notification fees

  • Peer cities vary in:

    • whether amendments are allowed
    • cost structure
    • frequency of updates

Peer Comparison Summary

CityPopulation Change (2000–2020)Last Plan UpdateReview CyclePlanning Staff
Lawton-2,3762008 (updating)5 years~5
Midwest City+4,3212008 (updating)Undefined~4
Enid+4,2632015Unknown~2 planners
Norman+32,3322004 (updating)None~10 planners
Edmond+26,1132022Ongoing~5 planners
Broken Arrow+38,681201910–15 years~5 staff
Moore+21,6552017~7 years~4 staff
Wichita Falls-1,8812008None~5 staff

Strategic Implications

The Peer Community Report suggests:

  • Lawton is lagging behind many peer cities in both growth and plan updates

  • Updating the comprehensive plan is positioned as a necessary step to:

    • remain competitive
    • support economic development
    • guide future land use decisions

  • Differences in staffing and planning structure may impact:

    • how policies are implemented
    • how quickly updates occur

Why This Matters

Peer reports are often used to:

  • justify policy changes
  • support zoning and land use decisions
  • demonstrate alignment with regional or state trends

Understanding this document helps explain:

  • how future decisions may be framed
  • what comparisons are being used to support those decisions

Source & Archive

This document is part of the One Lawton Comprehensive Plan materials.

For archived files and verification: → See: One Lawton Plan – Source Archive & File Verification

Notes

This page summarizes key elements of the Peer Community Report for reference and analysis.

Readers are encouraged to review the full document for additional detail and context.

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